THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Thursday, 4 December 2025

✨ HELLO YORK

This morning, York wakes up to rain-soaked streets and arguments over bin charges. But beneath the grey skies and political squabbles, there’s something else - a mother fighting for more time with her daughters, emergency beds opening for those who need them most, young people finding their way through hospitality, buses returning to forgotten routes, and a local music retailer breaking records one guitar at a time.

York’s got grit, heart, and ambition to spare.

Let’s go...

🌤️ WEATHER UPDATE

Rain heavy at times with highs of 7°C, turning blustery with gusts to 42mph. Overnight lows around 2°C. Proper December weather settling in. Met Office

🏠 NEWS

🛏️ 25 Emergency Beds for Rough Sleepers This Winter - City of York Council is offering up to 25 emergency beds for rough sleepers this winter - exceeding national guidelines and available whatever the weather from now until March 2026. Cllr Michael Pavlovic called rough sleepers “amongst the most vulnerable in society” and urged residents to contact StreetLink or the council’s navigators on 07511 161169 if they spot someone sleeping rough. . City of York Council

We are committed to making rough sleeping rare, brief and non-recurring. People sleeping on our streets are amongst the most vulnerable in society. Many have suffered trauma in their lives and we do all we can to keep them safe and rebuild their lives. Our rough sleeper navigators work daily with them, alongside a network of partners across the city.

🏕️ NAP Pads Return: Pop-Up Homeless Shelters Back in York - Four NAP Pads will return to York streets this winter thanks to a £50,000 commitment from CEO Sleepout, securing them for at least two years. Each pod contains a toilet, sink, bed, and life-saving monitors that detect if breathing slows or stops. The Salvation Army will manage them under partnership with CEO Sleepout, with service manager Charlie Malarkey calling them “a safe, warm place offering sanctuary.” Yahoo News

🌊 Flood Warnings Ease as River Ouse Levels Fall - After two days of flood warnings, river levels peaked on Tuesday, submerging New Walk from Skeldergate Bridge to Millennium Bridge and forcing Rowntree Park to close. The River Ouse hit 1.2 metres above normal at North Street Gardens but has been falling since. Gazette & Herald

🌳 Sycamore Gap Sapling Planted at York Education Firm - York alternative education provider Ad Astra has planted one of 49 Sycamore Gap saplings at their new ten-acre site in Wheldrake, known as Bill’s Place. The business, which rose from the ashes of a devastating fire in December 2023, plants young people’s futures alongside the Tree of Hope. Nearly 500 applications were received for the 49 saplings - one for each foot in height the felled tree stood - with judges selecting recipients whose stories reflected loss, hope, and regeneration. Gazette & Herald

💼 BUSINESS

🎸 Gear4music Smashes Black Friday Records - York-based music retailer Gear4music dispatched over 14,000 orders in a single day on Cyber Monday—the highest revenue day in company history. The firm has raised its annual earnings forecast to £16.7 million, the FOURTH upgrade in 2025. Executive Chair Andrew Wass said the company’s operational infrastructure “performed well under increased demand” and shares jumped over 6% following the announcement. Yorkshire Post

🏆 Sewcialising Wins Small Business of the Year - Sewcialising, the fabric shop and creative hub at 1 Coffee Yard, has been crowned Small Business of the Year at The Press Business Awards 2025. Founder Kathryn Vint transformed a once-derelict building into a vibrant space where people sew, craft, and connect. Gazette & Herald

“Thank you to everybody, especially our customers and my amazing team. I couldn’t do it without everybody.”

🎭 York Theatre Royal Wins Creative Industries Award - York Theatre Royal won the new Creative Industries Award at The Press Business Awards 2025 for its outstanding contribution to arts, culture and community. The theatre made international headlines this year with Gary Oldman starring in Krapp’s Last Tape - drawing audiences from across the UK and overseas. Nearly half of attendees were first-time visitors, showcasing the theatre’s power to attract new audiences and boost York’s economy. York Press

🏡 York Estate Agency Wins National Gold - Indigo Greens, based on James Street, won gold for Regional Agency of the Year: Yorkshire & The Humber at The Negotiator Awards 2025. Judges praised the “small, passionate, independent agency” for exceptional customer service, nurturing young talent, and smart use of technology to compete with larger regional players. YorkMix

🚨 POLITICS & CONTROVERSY

♻️ Green Bin Row: Council Approves £52 Hike - York Council approved raising garden waste charges from £49 to £52 from January - a 13% increase since the scheme launched in August last year. Labour’s Cllr Jenny Kent said the hike brings York in line with North Yorkshire Council and helps close a £175,000 funding gap. But Lib Dem leader Cllr Ayre warned it’ll fuel fly-tipping and queues at waste sites, while Conservative leader Cllr Steward called waste collection “one of the most fundamental duties of a council.” More than 60% of eligible households have signed up. YorkMix

👮 Shoplifter Warning to Christmas Shoppers - Police in York are urging shoppers to report shoplifters immediately to store workers. PCSO Max Glover-West said: The guidance comes as Christmas shopping ramps up across the city centre. Gazette & Herald

“Your awareness makes a difference. Do not approach or intervene, simply provide as much detail as possible.”

🍺 Street Drinking PSPOs: New Consultation Launched - York Council has launched a fresh consultation on expanding public space protection orders after concerns they could unfairly target homeless people. Proposed powers would tackle street-drinking, loitering, begging and nuisance behaviour, with groups of two or more moved on for 24 hours if causing antisocial behaviour. York Press

🚌 TRANSPORT

🚍 Sunday Bus Service Returns to Woodthorpe & Bishopthorpe - East Yorkshire Buses will launch Service 15 on Sundays from January 25 to Easter on a trial basis—the first Sunday service since it was axed during Covid. Running commercially without public funding, it’ll mirror weekday Services 12 and 14, connecting Woodthorpe, Bishopthorpe and Bishopthorpe Road to the city centre. YorkMix

🎨 COMMUNITY & CHARITY

💝 York Neighbours Launches Match-Funding Appeal - Charity York Neighbours has been accepted onto this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge - meaning every pound donated until 12 noon on Tuesday, December 9 will be DOUBLED through match-funding. The charity, which helps lonely and isolated over-65s with keeping-company calls, odd jobs, and social outings, now supports 578 neighbours across York. Gazette & Herald

💝 York Mum Fights for More Time: £150k Cancer Treatment Appeal - Emma Ward, 47, from Poppleton, has been given 12-15 months to live after being diagnosed with grade four glioblastoma - an aggressive brain tumour - in March. The mother of two underwent eight-hour awake brain surgery at Hull Royal Infirmary, followed by six weeks of chemo and radiotherapy. Now she’s fundraising £150,000 for treatment in Germany not available on the NHS that uses the body’s immune system to fight the tumour. Her JustGiving page has raised over £72,000 in under a week, with Poppleton’s Lord Nelson pub donating £1,000. York Press

🎄 Bishy Road Christmas Quiz: A Decade of Giving - The annual Bishy Road Christmas Quiz celebrates ten years of raising money for good causes in memory of Karen Christmas, who died of breast cancer in 2015. Organiser Jan Kingdom said this year’s theme is “Food Glorious Food” with first prize lunch for two at Melton’s and brunch at Robinson’s. Quizzes cost £2 and are available at shops across Bishopthorpe Road, with proceeds going to St Leonard’s Hospice. Gazette & Herald

🎨 MP Inspired by York Disability Week Events - York Central MP Rachael Maskell attended two exhibitions at York Explore Library during York Disability Week - the Eleanor Worthington Art Prize Exhibition and A Census of Disability Joy. The library also hosted ‘Poetry for All’ by Stairwell Books. Yahoo News

🎓 EDUCATION

🍫 Hornsea School Wins York Entrepreneurship Challenge - Students from Hornsea School and Language College won the 2025 York Entrepreneurship Challenge at York St John University with their chocolate product pitch “My Melt”—a fully customisable chocolate concept. Delivered by York-based education enterprise Time2Resources, the challenge invited student teams to reimagine the chocolate product or immersive experience of the future. Yahoo News

🍽️ Rise & Serve: New Hospitality Pilot Launching in York - A groundbreaking eight-week hospitality programme is launching in York to create real pathways for young people facing disadvantage. Rise & Serve, led by the Hospitality Junior Board alongside The Grand, York, invites 16 young people to co-create and run a fully functioning pop-up restaurant - designing the menu, developing marketing strategy, learning kitchen and front-of-house skills, and hosting a live ticketed dining event for 50+ guests. Hospitality & Catering News

🎄 Terrington Hall School Christingle Service - Pupils aged three to 13 at Terrington Hall Prep School gathered for a Christingle service to mark the start of Advent. Students created their own Christingles using oranges, sweets, red ribbons, and candles before taking part in songs and prayer in front of families. Year 8 children gave readings explaining how sharing the light of Christingle candles reflects Christians’ belief that Jesus introduced light into the world. Donations were made to the Children’s Society. Gazette & Herald

🎭 WHAT’S ON

🎤 Boyzlife Bringing Westlife & Boyzone Hits to York Barbican - Boyzlife - the supergroup featuring Westlife’s Brian McFadden and Boyzone’s Keith Duffy - will play York Barbican on February 1, 2025 as part of their first UK tour in two years. The duo will perform hits from both bands including “No Matter What,” “Flying Without Wings,” “My Love,” and “Uptown Girl.” Between them, Boyzone and Westlife notched 21+ UK No.1 singles and sold millions of records worldwide. York Barbican

🎭 Theatre@41 Partners with Wright&Grainger - Theatre@41 in Monkgate has teamed up with acclaimed company Wright&Grainger to co-produce SELENE, a new production exploring themes of the moon goddess and untamed emotion. The show will rehearse in York this December before touring internationally to Australia and New Zealand for five months in 2026, then returning to York for exclusive performances. Gazette & Herald

🛍️ RETAIL

📚 Books and Bevs Opens in Acomb - A new independent bookshop and café opened today in Front Street, Acomb. Books and Bevs, launched by husband and wife Joe and Allie Long, offers new and discounted pre-loved books alongside teas, coffees, soft drinks and snacks. The café seats up to 18 people. Opening hours are 9am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 10am-1pm on Sundays. York Press

⚽ SPORT

⚽ Greg Olley Finding His Feet After Injury Nightmare - York City’s Greg Olley is rediscovering his confidence after almost a year out with a broken leg. The 29-year-old playmaker scored his first home goal in Saturday’s 5-1 demolition of Aldershot—just his second goal in City colours after opening his account at Brackley. York continue their SIXTH consecutive winning streak, sitting second in the National League table with 18 points from their last 18 available. York City FC | Yahoo Sports

🏉 York RUFC Struggles Continue with Driffield Defeat - York RUFC remain rooted to the bottom of Regional 1 North East after falling 24-6 to Driffield in continuous rain and biting cold. Despite enjoying the lion’s share of territory and possession, York couldn’t cross the whitewash - their only points coming from two George Davies penalties. Yahoo Sports

And that’s York today - messy, generous, determined, and endlessly surprising.
From emergency beds to business wins and brave mothers fighting for more time, this city keeps proving it’s tougher and kinder than the headlines.

Thanks for reading. Same time tomorrow - we keep going together.